The New Zealand Rugby Union have confirmed Carl Hayman will not play in the 2011 World Cup.

The former All Blacks tighthead recently signed a lucrative deal with French club Toulon even though the NZRU wanted him back in the country ahead of the global tournament. Hayman said he hoped the NZRU would make an exception by selecting him, as the Kiwis traditionally don’t pick overseas-based players.

‘We think there’s just too much at stake to open the door for players to be in Europe, to be playing their day-to-day rugby outside of our environment,’ Tew said. ‘Right now we’ve got a very firm view the risk is too great. I can’t prove it, and no one knows for sure. It’s a judgment call. But there’s so much of a risk we are firm if you want to wear the All Black jersey you play in New Zealand.

‘Once you’ve made exception, you’ve broken the rule.’

Luke McAlister played for the All Blacks last year before spending time with his province, but Tew said no rule was broken. They need players committing to New Zealand rugby before considering them for the national side.

‘We didn’t make an exception bringing Luke back, we just exercised a regulation we’d put in place. Some might argue it didn’t work.’